Part 20 (1/2)

Captain Fleetwood threw himself back in his seat, and covered his eyes with his hands The old governor, who had purposely been more circumvolute even than usual, in order not too suddenly to shock his feelings, looked up at him with a kind expression, which showed that he truly entered into his wretchedness

”I have been considering, sir,” said Fleetwood, suddenly looking up, ”what clue can be found of the pirates' places of retreat; for, if they did not destroy those on board the _Zodiac_, I feel sure that they will have carried them off”

”Ah! that is the proper spirit hich toand placing his hand on Fleetwood's shoulder ”Look it in the face, and think how you can best overcome it

You deserve to succeed--and you will succeed, mon, I am sure Well, as to the clue, that is an iht of”

Captain Fleetwood reovernor His orders, which had been sent up to the palace, were handed to him, and with them in his pocket he hurried on board

”Mr Saltwell,” he said, as he ascended the side, ”hoist the blue-peter, and take every ht for the Levant I shall be happy to see you as soon as convenient in the cabin”

”Ay, ay, sir,” mechanically answered the first lieutenant, who, as he looked at his coone out of hisextraordinary had happened to cause this sudden change in their destination, and without stopping further to consider what it was, he took the necessary steps to obey the orders he had received The announceht have been expected, created, at first, no little dissatisfaction and disappointhout the shi+p, but that was before any one are of the reasons of the change Mr Togle was the first of the midshi+pmen to hear the news, and down he rushed into the berth, where most of his messmates were collected

”You've lost your bet, Je Duff a slap on the shoulder ”Instead of going to England we're bound for the Levant, old fellow; so fork out You betted a dinner at the Star, didn't you?”

”Well, suppose I believed your huive you a dinner at the Star; but if we don't go to England, I'm sure I don't kno you are to eat it; so I've done you, old fellow!”

Thereon the discussion grearm, as to how a bet under such circule's assertion of their change of destiny It was interrupted by the shrill pipe of the boatswain's whistle, and the hoarse cry of--

”All hands, un the decks

”There's so in the wind, any how,” exclaimed Jack Raby, as they all jumped up to hurry to their stations

”I told you so,” said Togle ”We shall have plenty of adventures before we again see old England, depend on it”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

There is in the northern portion of the Grecian Archipelago--and, fro out of the usual track of vessels, little known even to the er, and in the days of which I write still less so--a sions the Island of Lissa, though I alish charts In extent it is five or six , and from two to three broad; its lofty sides rise in most places as rocky precipices from out of the blue ocean, and only on the southern side can anchorage-ground be found It appears, on sailing round it at a short distance off, to be a barren, inaccessible rock--a fit abode only for the wild sea-fohichnearer, alters, and here and there a pathway, cut in zig-zag down the rock, may be discerned; and at one spot on the north, which appears at first to be a mere crevice in the rock, to the sea is revealed between the lofty cliffs, so narrow that the yards of a shi+p ht touch either side, yet with the water so deep that one of large tonnage may enter, and find herself in a beautiful basin surrounded with a fringe of yellow sand--lofty rocks, ofup into the interior, its sides also equally rugged and precipitous Neither tree nor shrub can be seen in this wild but picturesque spot: rock, water, sand, and sky, are the only component parts of the landscape At the tiht boats were drawn up on the beach, and two crafts of considerably larger size lay , low vessels, entirely decked over, and fitted to pull so yards, for lateen sails, noed fore and aft in the boats The sails were bent, the oars being placed along the thwarts, and they wore an air which showed they would be ready for sea at a moment's notice

There was soht belong to peaceable fisher the shore, and at ti the boats The chief communication between the cove or basin I have described and the interior of the island was by a narrow pathhich ran along near the botto to the right with e of deep precipices till it reached the summit of the cliffs

At the very bottoht, clear rivulet, the only streaht be called the head of the ravine, rushi+ng forth fro down a fall of two or three hundred feet in afoam

One of the wildest and most inaccessible spots in the island was in that portion to the right, or east of the cove--the point of land, indeed, formed by it and the sea, and bounded on the north by the ravine The only access to it from the rest of the island was from the north-east by a narrow neck of land, with the sea-cliffs on one side and those of the ravine on the other

This wild and rugged spot had been selected centuries ago, when the then powerful republic of Venice held sway over considerable territories in those seas, for the erection of a stronghold; and certainly no place could have been better adapted, by its position and nature, for defying the attacks of an ene shelter in the bay below It was of course for the purpose of protecting their commerce that this rock had been seized on and fortified It had probably also at sothened on the land side, and occupied for less laudable objects than the inal intention of its erection and its subsequent use, thesince been disused, and had fallen into the decay of years, unheeded and unknown, except by a few faeneration followed the same occupation I call thenation they would have given themselves, had they been questioned on the subject, and very properly so, for that was the occupation they and their fathers had followed from time immemorial--when they happened to have no other e had, however, of late years coh it could not be said that they had assumed much of their pristine appearance, sons of being the habitations of hus One tower especially had been roofed in, as had a building attached to it, and smoke had been seen to ascend froers to the island, had appeared at its s The village in which most of the old inhabitants of the island resided was on the opposite side of the ravine, in a spot almost as inaccessible as that on which the castle stood, but soation of persons; and as it was in a manner fortified by art, in addition to what nature had done, they never found the Turks anxious to atteh the exterior of the island was so rugged and unprepossessing, and so destitute of verdure and cultivation, there were spots in the interior where the orange, the citron, the pear, the apple, and the vine flourished in rich luxuriance; the sides of the hills were clothed with olive-trees, and thecorn, amply sufficient for the siht be rare, thriving herds of goats found herbage aed cliffs In fact, everything which the mere unsophisticated wants ofand weapons; and for the purpose of collecting these the misticoes in the cove were found extremely useful,--no spot, indeed, could be more calculated for the abode of peace, innocence, and rural simplicity--a complete island Arcadia; and so it would possibly have become, had the inhabitants been less addicted to o about in the state in which were our first parents, before the fall, or to have dressed in goats' skins; and at all events they would have had no arainst the Turks; so that their frequent naval expeditions ht have been prompted by the excess of their patriotism, and would, therefore, to say no more about them, have been most laudable

But the part of the island hich we are most interested is that to the east of the bay, where the ruined castle was situated The tohich I have described as having been rendered somewhat habitable, stood in a position by which it commanded an extensive view to the southward and eastward, as also of the bay or cove below Yet, although placed apparently in so exposed a situation, so completely surrounded was it by rocks of the same hue as the stone of which it was constructed, that at a short distance off only, on the sea, it could in no way be distinguished from them

I must introduce the reader to an apartment in the upper part of the said tohich possessed ts, one looking to the south, the other into the cove

The room presented an appearance which could not at all have been expected from the condition of the outside It was furnished, not only completely, but most richly and luxuriously, yet in a hich showed that the hand of a professional artist had not been employed The floor was covered with a Turkey carpet of the most valuable description, and round the rooed couches, with the softest cushi+ons, and carved with thick silks of varied patterns The walls were lined with daed in the form of a tent, composed of cottons, which had probably been fabricated in the looland There were tables in the room, and seats scattered about around thes on the walls, they were ornamented with pictures of ed so as to form many fanciful devices

The whole appearance of the apartment showed that it had been hurriedly fitted up, with lavish disregard of expense, and with ht have been inally intended for the purpose to which they were devoted The arrangeht be supposed to have made, more, probably, than any other person The rooirl Her beauty was of the pensive cast She had large black, gazelle eyes, a clear olive coraceful, with a cast of feature of theout on the blue sea, ever and anon a slight roseate tinge would appear in her soft cheek, and vanish rapidly as the thoughts which made it rise Her costume was rather fanciful, than either Grecian or of any other people, and though elegant and beco, she appeared to have formed it from a profuse supply of costly materials placed at her disposal It partook, however, of the character of the dress of the East, though European taste ht have been detected in it

She seeh she held a book in her hand, hich she was apparently endeavouring to divert her attention frohts, her eyes would constantly wander over the wide blue sea, the only object visible from the , and a pearly drop from her dark eye would steal down her cheek, and fall unheeded on the page before her, while an unconscious sigh would burst froht on her young heart, a grief which earing out the elasticity of her spirits, withering her glorious beauty, and ed before her time Perchance she mourned the absence of one she loved, and earied with anxiety for his return; perhaps the canker-worm of remorse was at ithin her, for a fault committed and irretrievable; perhaps she was the victiainst her will; perhaps she had been severed froht hopes of life had been blasted for ever At last she closed her book with a smile; but it was one of pain and bitterness at the hopelessness of her attempt to divert her uitar, such as is generally used in Italy, lay on the divan near her; she took it up, and ran her fingers over the strings For a few minutes she struck a plaintive air, in consonance with her feelings, and then, almost unconsciously, she added her voice to the strain in a rich flow of e was that of Italy

Nina's Song